Having initially resisted reading His Dark Materials (for several reasons: I've never considered myself all that keen on fantasy, I tend to reserve precious reading time for "adult" books, I dislike bandwagons, and I was somewhat miffed by Pullman's attacks on CS Lewis), I have finally started on Northern Lights...and, amazingly, am quite enjoying it!

I think it's the way in which Pullman combines elements from different eras, cultures and worlds that has most impressed me: pitching Romany tribes against an Inquisitorial Church, Arctic explorers against rampaging Tartars, etc. It's a terribly rich patchwork, refreshingly ambitious, and impressively imaginative.

Has anyone seen the film? Are Pullman fans resisting its lure? Does it measure up to the book? (I suspect the answer to this will be obvious...)

I've not seen it yet but fully plan to SOON!

I was only saying to someone the other night that the HDM trilogy is possibly my favourite story. The breadth and depth and richness and imagination and number of layers, and - and, is just spectacular.

And in my opinion each book is better than the last.

Wonderful.

Nik.

My eight year old son has just discovered that Philip Pullman has also written for younger readers. He is reading and loving 'Count Karlstein'.

O0h that's highly recommended by my teacher girlfriend. He might also like 'The Fireworkmaker's Daughter' and 'Clockwork.'

I'm looking forward to Once Upon a Time in the North, the new Pullman book telling the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson, though I haven't read Lyra's Oxford yet. Is that any good?

JB

It's very, very short but it sets the scene for the next Lyra book. I enjoyed it. There's some lovely art in it like postcards from Mary. Defo worth a read.

Nik.

Ok I'll grab a copy off Amazon then.

JB

Well worth it. And it's quite beautiful.

Enjoy!

Nik

The film gets such bad reports from all my friends (all Pullman fans) who have been to see it. I've not seen it myself, though.

I thought it was ace. But you have to bear in mind, that - action wise - it's a very boring book. Shame they cut the end scenes, because the betrayal was such an important part of the book. The rumoured plan is to use them in the next movie.

Well I'm up to the disappearing children chapter (would be further but unfortunately I'm limited to 15mins a day) and it has taken off. Before that I was resorting to counting the hooks - poison, dust, boy in photo, head.... But now, ss you say, MF, it's developed into a rich patchwork.
And you can tell it's written by a man by the sprinkling of facts on every page.


- NaomiM

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He does like including a lot of backstory. Though it doesn't seem to hinder the narrative in any way.

But you have to bear in mind, that - action wise - it's a very boring book

Actually, I thought that it was pretty boring as a whole until they get to the north. But after that, blimey - it's just electric, unputdownable - and that continues for the rest of the trilogy. As I said before, the whole HDM might easily be my favourite story. Naomi, you have a lot to look forward to.

Nik X

I think internally, there's a lot going on, and a lot for the reader to think about, but that kind of fiction is difficult to convert to a screenplay without lots of narrative. The Subtle Knife should be a much better film.

I was surprised by how similar in some ways the film was to the stage version.

I don't think it is an easy tale to dramatise - but the 'fade out' (cop out?)ending to the film did it no favours?

I love the opening chapter to The Subtle Knife - but I have a horrible feeling it's going to be bowdlerised out of all recognition for the film. This is 'Pullman lite'?

Sarah

Unless... but no... they couldn't possibly include that final scene in THE SPECIAL EDITION DVD!!!

Oh, right, next I'll be thinking they never landed on the moon.

Colin M